Daily Archives: December 21, 2008

Photo courtesy of ClintJCL

Remember when you were a kid, and you didn’t quite get exactly what you wanted for Christmas? And then you whined and complained like it was the end of the world? Well, it turns out that nasally-voiced, impossibly immature younger you might have been onto something. Every year, crappy Christmas presents are literally ruining the planet

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Natura Lavender Pillow

Trouble sleeping? “Underperforming” in the sack? Turns out all you need is a better pillow, according to Natura, an online “natural” bedding emporium. They’ve come out with a new line of aroma-infused pillows designed to alter your moods—depending on which pillow you’ve got under you’re head, apparently you’ll either be knocking boots in no time, or falling asleep so fast you might forget to take them off

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Image sourtesy of firstclassproducts.biz

Some of the top scientists in the US are taking their New Year’s resolutions extra-seriously this year—it is, after all a year when we could see both some revolutionary pro-science political change and some major funding evaporate thanks to that pesky “worst recession since the Great Depression.” So when the respected group the Union of Concerned Scientists drafts up resolutions, expect some practical, important proposals. (No room for the mundane or

Photo courtesy of Telenovela Garden

Did Judy sleep with Alejandro? Even though she’s married to Sebastian, who’s in a coma from leaping in front of a bullet fired at her by Don Curio, Alejandro’s jealous evil twin brother? Will she learn the error of her ways, and that promiscuity and unprotected sex are dangerous global threats that lead to overpopulation and health woes?

She might if the production happens to be helmed by the Population Media Center, a Vermont organi

photo by gailf548

Hollywood has been slipping environmental messages into their blockbusters lately. I’m not talking about smart indy films or well-researched documentaries. I’m talking about movies that are marketed to a mass audience and have dizzying special effects, plenty of bad-guy punching, unchecked vehicle chases and expensive things that explode. You know, the stuff good clean family fun is made of.

Image from NASA

It seemed like just yesterday geo-engineering was one of those taboo subjects you couldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. Now, though still far from being widely embraced, it has been recognized by many governments and reputable research institutions as a potential last ditch alternative to conventional climate mitigation strategies. One consequence has been that more and more scientists have been turning to these highly unconventional methods as a way to ad

Traffic is a contributor to dirty air in Turkey’s capital. Photograph by bddemir via flickr.

In December 1952, the city of London was beset by what is now known as the Great Smog or “killer fog.” It was a particularly chilly winter that year, so residents were burning a lot of coal, which got trapped under a dense layer of cold air. In the following weeks and months, up to 12,000 people died of respiratory diseases and related illnesses. During this incident, pollut

This poem is offered to encourage joining the “good fight” for sustainable development (SD). Done in good spirits, with credit to Clement Clarke Moore, author of A Visit from St. Nicholas, now known as “Twas a night before Christmas.”

‘Twas a night of sustainability’

‘Twas a night of sustainability, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a louse;
The badges were hung by the entry with care,
In hopes that participants soon would be there;
For they were all nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of climate change clanged in their heads;
And climat

Image: detail of photograph, © Steffan Widstrand

Does the word “environment” trigger fears, worries and guilt? Then take the time for a peek into the beauty, the awesomeness, the restorative glory of nature. For those of you who do not yet regularly feast your eyes over at Wild Wonders of Europe, the blog is a great entry point. Hot off the presses: one of the project founders, Staffan Widstrand, shares his humorous observations on the sex life and art of flirting of the Spanish Ibex.

I guess most girls wouldn’t fi

Israel is not the only place in the world where building and development come into constant conflict with flora and fauna, but a lack of respect for trees in this semi-arid country has long been a thorn in the side of environmentalists. One oft-heard complaint relates to the tendency of contractors to leave not a single tree or bush standing on new building sites in the wake of their tractors.

However, luckily enough for the Israeli tree, Israel’s current legislature contains some very energetic green lawmakers, who have been awfully busy over the past few years making